The On the Radar Rocky Top Invitational is a mainstay on the OTR calendar. This event brings together OTR circuit teams, shoe circuit teams, and independent squads from across the Southeast and Midwest, showcasing a wealth of talented players. Below are some of the notable 2028 standouts from this year’s Rocky Top Invitational.

16U

Bleu Armour - Tigersharks/AJamHoops

Armour put on a shooting display all weekend while pulling double duty. The 6’2 guard sprayed it in from all over the floor off the catch and off the bounce. His standout performance was a 33-point effort with five three-pointers in a win. In the two full games we tracked while he was playing for the Tigersharks, he tallied 10 three-pointers and averaged 27ppg. He moves well without the ball, has a quick release and didn’t get rattled when shots were not falling. As he continues to get stronger and improve his overall game, he will be a prospect to track.

Luke Smith - Top Shot Nashville

The 6’10 Smith opened many eyes with his consistent play throughout the weekend. Smith tallied a double-double in all four games this weekend, scoring over 20-plus points in each game. Smith showed an array of moves around the basket from both sides of the paint. He showed a soft touch on jump hooks, nice footwork on up-and-under moves, good touch in the mid-range and used his size to play through contact and get multiple And 1’s. Smith was just as strong on the defensive end altering shots, showed good help side defense and was dominant on the glass. Smith is a prospect that you have to keep eyes on.

Karl Mullins - Team Gold Coast 16U

Mullin showed he can score in a variety of ways. He scored 30 points in a win. Mullins has quick first step which he uses to get to the basket, finishes at the rim, draws fouls and was solid at the free throw line going 8-of-9 in the game we tracked. He showed he could shoot it from the perimeter although he only hit one three-pointer, he has a nice mid-range game where he can get to his spot and knocked down jumpers. He plays under control on offense, gets his teammates in spots for easy baskets, communicates and facilitates well. He also was solid defensively with several steals that led to easy buckets on offense.

Jonquell Garner - 4:44 Pro 16

Garner led his high school team (Westlake-GA) in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore last season averaging 16.7ppg and 8rpg. He showcased his skill set that showed why he was such an impactful player this past high school season. Garner has excellent size at 6’6 with length that he uses to his advantage on both ends of the floor. In two games we tracked he averaged 20ppg to go with 8rpg. His standout performance was a 22-point 11-rebound effort in a win over Top Shot Nashville and Luke Smith. He routinely went at Smith in the paint with back to the basket moves, displayed a solid face-up game, was able to drive with quickness and finish with power. He showed good touch with his jumper especially from 13-18 feet. Defensively he was always on the glass, although he did not block a lot of shots, his length altered several shots. He uses his body well on defense and does not shy away from contact against bigger defenders. He runs the floor like a gazelle and plays with a very poise demeanor. Garner has a very bright upside and is a prospect that will see his recruiting stock rise as he continues to develop.

Zacca’i Lee - Warrior Life Elite 2028 Parson

The 6’3 Lee is an old school junk yard dog player. His offensive numbers will not pop out at you, but his overall box score will. Lee finds multiple ways to impact the game when not scoring, especially on the defensive end. He is always around the ball, hits the floor for loose balls, has active hands that leads to several steals, strips and deflections. He finished with 6 steals in a nip and tuck game that eventually led to a win in the closing seconds. The lefty is crafty, can get to the rim, gets paint touches, and can get others involved. His best offensive outing was an 18-point effort in their only loss to a tough 444 Athletics team. In four games he averaged 8.6ppg and 3spg with multiple impact plays. As Lee becomes more consistent with his offense to match his defensive intensity, he will be a prospect that should see more recruiting attention.

Gavin Malone - Tigersharks/AJamhoops

It was a year ago at this event where we first saw Gavin Malone stripping the nets. A year later you can see his continued growth and development and the trigger is quicker. Malone pulled double duty playing for two teams this weekend. His standout game was a 24-point effort with 20 of those coming in the second half of a win. Malone adjusted to the defense that was running him off the three-point line and when he did have an attempt, he was heavily contested. That led to him displaying more of a dribble-drive game than we’ve seen. He got to the paint and drew fouls and made free throws. He sees the floor well, sets up teammates for baskets and communicates well. His best scoring game that we observed was a 33-point effort with eight three-pointers in a win for AJamhoops. In 3 games we tracked he averaged 24ppg.

Jaleek Parson - Warrior Life Elite 2028 Parson 

Parson is a steadyhanded guard that engineers his team's offense which has balanced scoring across the board. Parson is capable of scoring in multiple ways—whether driving to the basket, using his jumper, or disrupting plays on defense to create offensive opportunities through turnovers. In four games we tracked, he averaged 12.2ppg, dished out multiple assists each game and had impactful defensive plays. His volume of assists is due to his creation and unselfish play which was a big factor in a balanced team scoring effort and 3-1 weekend.

Alix Cheeks - Tennessee Panthers Basketball Club

Cheeks is a steady-handed player that allows the game to come to him. He pushes the pace on the break while under control, reads the floor well and knows how to make winning basketball plays. He averaged 17.5ppg to go with 3apg in the two games we tracked. He had the game-winning assist in a tight win over a gritty Product Of Christ team. Defensively he communicates well, moves his feet and defends without fouling.